Le Fantôme en Blanc
by baichan
Summary: E. Aster Bunnymund is being hunted by a boy with frost at his fingertips and snow at his heels.
1. The First Snowfall

Aster was sitting with his good friend Nicholas, the toy maker when he heard it. A sound that was like a rushing whip of wind passing by tinkling bells blowing snow with it. It was a pleasant melody and he paused in his painting, brush held over the wooden soldier. His head snapped up and a flash of silver and blue flashed by the window.

Then it was gone.

"My friend?"

Aster looked up to see Nicholas staring at him in concern, brows furrowed in concentration. At him.

Aster smiled, "Oh it's nothin' mate, jus' thought I heard somethin'."

Nicholas smiles back, white beard moving with his lips, eyes sparkling in jolly content.

"I must thank you, my friend, for helping me." Nicholas says, eyes looking back down at the metal train he was constructing.

Aster looks back down at the wooden figure, jacket partially painted red, "Ah, no problem mate. It's gettin' colder 'n the flowers are wiltin'. Not as much to do 'n the ol' garden."

Nicholas grunts, "That's a shame, my friend."

Aster smiles, "No worries mate. They'll be back 'n the spring."

Ol' Nick flashes a smile at him, "I look forward to it comrade."

* * *

Aster walks back in the chill of winter. Was that what the sound was? Winter and snow? Frost and silver bells? Was it the season?

Aster grunts and heaves his pack back on his shoulder. He didn't like the winter, yes snow was beautiful and hot chocolate delicious, but the cold killed his garden and wilted his flowers, and his chicken's never laid as many eggs when their coop was frosted.

Suddenly a snowball hit him in the back of his head, cold slush ran down his jacket as it melted against his skin. Spinning on his heel he looked but there was no one there. Even stranger, there was no snow on the ground.

Something cold touched his nose and he scrunched it and shook his head. Looking up he saw grey clouds and a few white flakes float slowly to the ground.  
_Strange_, he thought.

Touching his fingers against the back of his head he felt his damp hair but there was no snow, no slush.

_Strange indeed._

A flash of silver and a laugh. Turning quickly, ashy grey hair whipping in the air he saw nothing but the streets and the falling snow. Hearing the laughter again he whipped his head the other way, and -

_There! _By the dirt path in the alleyway between the old wood sweet shop that sold the best ice cream and a tall bleak apartment building stood a child with glittering white hair.

Aster blinked, but the the child ran, seemingly carried by the wind, a small flurry of snow blowing behind him. Aster cursed and chased after him, running through the dust and over the debris and rubble that increased as he entered the woods. He stopped when the path ended and the trees thickened. A giggle and a flash of that wintry hair had him turning his head and he saw frost like a handprint on a tree. Approaching it he placed his own hand over it and shivered, pulling away quickly.

Looking forward he saw another tree with another frost print, then another. Following the path about ten trees, it ended but he heard the laugh and saw the kid standing across from him. Growling he rushes forward and stumbles over a bush and into a pond, _a very cold pond_.

"Ah shite!" he shouts, stumbling backwards onto dry land.

The wind blows, a flurry of snowflakes and a giggle. Looking up the child's gone. Cursing he turns and trudges home, the bottom of his pants and boots soaked.

* * *

Aster sighs as he slips into the warm bath, wiggling his toes in the steaming water as he regains feeling pinprick by pinprick. Sinking in the soothing water he let's tension roll off his shoulders.

His mind brings up an image of the strange kid, he couldn't be any younger than fifteen maybe fourteen, and he couldn't have been older than seventeen. His face had a grin of mischief and his eyes had that twinkle of youth and joy that was only seen in children and North.

_Who are you?_ he wonders.

The child looked a tiny bit familiar but he was sure he had never seen the child before. Not with his white hair or silver blue eyes.

_How strange._

A chill blows through and Aster's thoughts turn to if he closed the small bathroom window. Something freezing touches his nose and it's such a cold shock he opens his eyes.

Silvery blue one's peer back curiously.

Aster's green eyes widen and he startles with a curse, hands moving to grip the side of the tub and once he was sitting up without slipping, they shoot to cover his crotch.

"Cripes! What the hell are you doin' in 'ere?" he shouts.

The kid grins and snickers, eyes closing and without a word he opens the door and slips out of the bathroom.

Aster is frozen for a few seconds after the door clicks shut. Then with a few muttered curses he sloshes out of the tub, slipping into the chilled air. Grabbing a towel and wrapping it around his waist he hurries into the rest of his house.

His bedroom was devoid of white haired boys and he sighed in relief as he quickly dressed. Putting on his shirt he glanced at his window and paused.

His mirror was frosted and a finger had traced words in the lace like ice.

_Jack Frost_

Aster growled and exited his bedroom, running down the hall he found nothing and the air was a pleasantly heated temperature, fire roaring in the mantle.

Sighing, he knew the child was gone.

Turning back to drain the tub he glanced at the mirror.

The frost was gone.

That night a pale face danced in his dreams and a chill caused goose bumps on his skin.

That night the snow fell and the moon shone down on a little pond in the woods.


	2. Drawn in Frost

Aster felt something cold touch the tip of his nose and he shivered. A freezing hand touched his cheek and he stiffened, eyes fluttering open.

A pale face peered back at him curiously.

Aster blinked and stared for a second, his mind lagging sleepily. Then...

"Ah!" he shouts, hopping up on the bed and backing up to the headboard.

The boy is back and he's crouched on the end of the bed. He giggles and begins to turn.

_No way! _Aster thinks.

Quickly he grabs the wooden shepherd's hook the child was holding. He shivers, but wraps his fingers tightly around the cold, delicate looking staff. The kid whips his head around in surprise and falters. Aster takes this opportunity to hit him with the stick, knocking him off the bed.

He makes an "Oof!" noise when he lands and Aster jumps off the bed.

The kid is scrambling to get back on his feet but Aster tackles him to the floor and pins him down.

The boy freezes eyes wide with a strange mix of shock and surprise with an inappropriately small hint of fear.

Aster sneers at him.

"What are you doing here?" he screams in his face.

The boy blinks and then a smirk grows on his face. Aster feels hands wrap around his bare arms. The boy's cocky grin infuriates Aster as he begins to shake from the freezing grip. It was the coldest col he had ever felt. Like walking barefoot in the snow or licking a frozen pole, but so much worse. It was spreading too, and his teeth began to chatter as the frost climbed his arm.

The boy chuckled and with a curse Aster lets him go, jumping back from him.

The kid jumps for his staff and turns, running to the open window. Every step he took left made a circle of ice and a few fragile puffs of snow.

"Jack Frost?" Aster whispered questioningly at him.

He paused at the window and looked back at Aster. Tilting his head Jack grinned. Then he turned and was gone, a flurry of snow blowing behind him.

Aster sighed and furrowed his brow, emotions ranging from anger frustration and maybe just a little bit of disappointment.

* * *

The next morning Aster changes out of his nightclothes and into warmer clothes, grabbing a scarf and gloves and hat. If it was snowing then he would need it. Especially if he saw Jack again. He huffed as he wrapped the scarf around his neck. The little brat would be lucky if Aster didn't give him a good swing the next time he saw him.

Sighing, Aster pulled on the hat. As he lowered the ear coverings he couldn't help but wonder. Who was Jack Frost? Reaching over for his gloves he looked at the spot on his arm that had been frozen. They were fine now, no trace of creeping frost encasing them or even the slightest chill. The memory of it was still there, though, and he did _not _want to feel that again.

* * *

Aster made it to Nicholas' house without incident, something he accepted with content of normalcy and disappointment. Of course he was only disappointed because he didn't get a chance to chew out the little frostbite.

_Heh frostbite,_ he snorted at his own joke, standing in front of his friend's log cabin style house.

Lifting his hand to knock, the door suddenly swung open and he was pulled inside by a slender but surprisingly strong hand.

"Oh Aster!" an energetic and femininely lilted voice cried out, "He's just gotten so bad this year! It's even worse with what happened to his cousin and his cousin's son and his wife and kids! Oh the poor kids, but he's-"

Aster was still in shock at being whirled inside the warm and cozy house and it got worse by the onslaught of information.

"Oi! Calm down there, mate!" he said, interrupting her tirade by putting a finger to her lips.

The woman who had pulled him inside did stop, squeaking and freezing in her flurry of motion.

Purple eyes stared up at him and he looked back at Toothiana.

Toothiana's or Tooth as she was called fondly by most people, was already a lady that personified organized chaos. Always rushing to manage the understaffed dentist office that only had three dentists and one secretary and served a number of small town. Most of which had bad teeth.

Aster took a deep breath and motioned her to do it with him. She did, her decorated eyelashes comically wide.  
He gave her a small smile.

"Now what's wrong, and one thing at a time." He paused when she opened her mouth, no doubt to spew whatever she has to say in an unintelligible and confusing mess of words.

"Wait, no." he sighed, "Start with the sweets man, what did you say happened to him?"

Tooth took a deep breath, her petite chest rising then falling.

Whatever had happened it must have been bad. Tooth's thick, colorful hair usually pulled back was down and a bit greasy, falling in her face.

Her pet birds chirped wildly in there cage, begging to be let out and from the smell he was pretty sure the newspaper at the bottom of the mew hadn't been replaced yet that day and their water and food was alarmingly low.

"Well it's already so close to Christmas when the doctor came by today."

Aster nodded and made his way to the bird cage, waving for her sit down and tell her story.


	3. An Interlude of Nicholas North

Nicholas North's family was all but dead, excluding his cousin and his cousin's son and his cousin's son's family. As confusing as that sounded, that was just how it was.

Nicholas and his cousin both shared the love of giving joy to children. Nicholas, an expert toymaker, and his cousin a sweets maker, excelling in ice cream. They both settled down in the same town and took jobs in their chosen skills.

The sweets maker was much older than Nicholas and married and had a son before North had even met Tooth.

His son met a girl in his late teens. The sweet's man did not approve. They fought and the son left. The sweet's maker became bitter and sad but he still made sweets, even knowing somewhere in the world his son was starting a life and he would have no part of it until his son decided to forgive him.

His son didn't forgive him for many years. He married the girl he had met and they had two children.

They lived in a town less than forty miles from where his father made sweets and ice cream. He taught his own children how to make sweets, the cousin's grandson made ice cream just like his grandfather. The cousin's son would never admit to the tears that rolled down his face when he tasted it.

One day the family went to take the youngest to skating practice.

They never made it to the rink.

The cousin's son and his family died in a way that wasn't entirely uncommon. It was winter and they lived up north. There was snow and where there was snow, ice can usually be found. Their car slid off the road and flipped over.

The cousin's son, his wife, and their youngest child died in the crash, their life slipping out of them in the quiet after the initial crash, red on white snow.

The eldest child survived, whether by chance or will of a higher power doesn't matter. Because he lived.

Nicholas' cousin got the news three days later when people were trying to find someone to take the young orphaned boy in.

The cousin, being aged and frail, could not handle this and his bitter and sorrowful heart failed him. The sweet's maker died, joining his wife, his son, his son's wife, and his granddaughter that he never knew.

The town's doctor found him, there to pick up lollipops for his younger patients, and immediately reported this to the person closest to the sweet's maker, Nicholas North.

Nicholas was also informed about the child. Seeing no other option than to leave the boy to an orphanage, he agreed to take him in with support from Tooth.

Afterall, Nicholas' family was now all dead, except for the child.

This is what Tooth told Aster.


	4. Nippin' at Your Nose

By the end of the story Aster had joined Tooth on the couch. Tooth was crying and he was stroking her green, yellow, and purple hair trying to comfort one of his best friends. He wasn't sure what to say so he pulled her into a hug.

"That's terrible. How's th' big fella doin'?"

Tooth sniffled, "H-he's exhausted. It's so close to Christmas and then _this_ happens?"

Tooth shakes her head and pulls away from Aster.

"He's in bed. Only for a few hours though," Tooth sighs and stands, "and that poor boy."

"I'm gonna make some coffee," Aster stands too, "If ya don' mind."

Tooth waves him towards the kitchen and turns to check on her prized birds.

"Go ahead."

Aster, if he can, never makes coffee at his house. His coffee machine hates him, overflowing or giving him grainey cold water. Ol' North's coffeepot, like most things the man had, was top of the line. Even if most of the blends he had were a bit too sweet for his tastes.

Getting the machine going he goes in the fridge and pulls out a Sprite from the fridge and a straw, as well as a festively painted ceramic mug from the cabinet.

"I gotch' ya a Sprite."

"With a straw?"

"Of course."

Tooth flashes him a perfectly white smile. A smile that was perfectly white because she refused to drink coffee, soda, or red wine without a straw.

Sipping the newly opened can Tooth sighs.

"I have to go to work."

The coffee machine beeps and Aster fills the mug. He doesn't add anything to it, disliking the already too sweet flavor. He grimaces.

"Already? Cripes, doesn' this count as a family emergency?"

Tooth sighs again.

"Ya but Baby was supposed to have the day off, she has a cold and you don't want to work in a dental office sick, and Francis is, well you know."

Aster smirks in his coffee mug. He did know Francis, he also knew how Francis was with Baby. The slightly mousy man from France and the young girl who's wanted to be a dentist ever since she met Tooth. Some people even called her Baby Tooth. Aster thought it was a tiny bit creepy how much she adored Tooth but the girl was young enough for hero worship. Plus she was impossible to hate. Unless you were Francis. The only thing worse was a Francis _without_ Baby.

Whiny little bugger.

Aster nods and lets silence take over between them as Tooth starts to gather her things for work and tidy up her appearance. People always wanted to get their teeth whitened for Christmas photos afterall and Tooth could _never _resist the 'my first dentist' visit no matter _what _time of the year it was.

"... So when does the littl' ankle biter get 'ere?"

Tooth buttons up her jacket and pulls on her mittens. Her jacket was as colorful as her hair. Only with more feathers. Sometimes Aster wonders morbidly if this is where her dead pet birds went.

"Hm... Oh! North is pushing for Christmas but only if he's up for it."

Aster raises a brow.

"Up for it?"

Tooth nods and fixes her Russian style hat, a present from North, and a pastel colored scarf, a present from Aster himself.

"He's in the hospital Aster."

Then she's out the door with a distracted 'bye'.

* * *

Aster sits on the couch, clutching his too sweet coffee and feeling like an insensitive person. The poor kid, if his family died it _must_ have been bad enough to land him in the hospital.

He sighs and shakes his head, he felt for North and understood a bit of what the boy was going through but it was hard to feel empathy for a situation he was so removed from. For now. Standing he goes to check on North.

He doesn't have far to go because North barrels out the door, grabbing Aster who scrambles to not spill his coffee.

"Friend! Christmas is close! We have much to do!"

Aster figures North will tell him more about it but there really _is_ alot of work to do and Aster goes home knowing no more about the child than he did when Tooth told him.

* * *

When he gets home he checks on his chickens then turns on the radio. It's playing Christmas music and Aster sighs. He's been listening to Christmas music all day, and rather loudly too. He _knew_ that North might not want to talk about it yet but he didn't have to turn the music up so _loud. _They were busy enough.

Reaching his hand off to turn the music off, Aster finds a cold grip stopping him.

A pale hand encases his like ice and Aster snatches his hand away and glares at the boy.

Jack smiles at him.

_In the lane, snow is glistening_  
_A beautiful sight,_

Jack's smile grows into a happy grin and he opens his mouth in a silent laugh, jumping up and falling lightly.

His blue eyes make contact with Aster's green ones as he begins twirling, shepherd's hook raised high in the air.

Snow flurries out from him and for a second Aster is stunned. It's beautiful, a young face so full of joy and happiness and the snow falling, white on white.

Then a snowflake, so cold compared to the warmth of his house, touches his nose. Eyes widening he realizes it's snowing _in his house. _Rushing he turns off the radio and watches as the white and blue and brown whirl slows and the snow stops falling, landing in small piles.

He opens his mouth to yell at the boy, who shouldn't be in his house _anyway_, when there is a knock. He freezes and that gives Jack a chance to smirk at him and then stretch on his toes to land a kiss on his nose. Or at least Aster thinks it was supposed to be on his nose, instead his lips touched ice cold ones.

Jack pulls back and stares, eyes wide in surprise. Before Aster can say anything the knock is back with a vengeance and a shout of his name.

Pale blue lips mouth his 'Aster' and then stretch into another smirk.

Then Jack is gone, flying out the window like a snowflake pulled by the wind.

Aster blinks and shivers.

He feels so cold, from his frosted lips to his bare toes dusted in snow.

_Stupid kid, _ he thinks as he grabs his coat and slips into a pair of shoes, _who the hell does he think he is?_


	5. Winter's Laced Hands and Teeth

Aster opens the door to greet an excited Russian man.

"Aster, old friend! I have idea for child!" he says as he barrels past him and into his house.

Only to stop and shiver as he notices that snow lays in small piles while an open window blows the small flakes in.

North laughs his deep chuckle and closes the window.

"Silly man, don't leave window open!"

Aster bristles and thinks of saying something but decides it's not worth it. How is he supposed to explain the chills he gets from Jack Frost nipping at his nose? How would he explain _Jack Frost?_

So instead he grumbles and just huddles into himself as North begins to get the fire going again.

_Bloody Frost_ he thought grumpily, wrapped as warm as he could in his jacket, _I ought'a send him down the chimney while I got a hot blaze goin-_

"... so Bunny, what do you think? Would you like to come with us my friend?"

Aster pauses in his mental ravings. He wonders why he's so preoccupied with Jack Frost, someone for, who all he knew, didn't even exist.

He could be going insane, dropping his sanity like chickens dropped eggs.

Forcing himself back to the present he looks at ol' Nick as he strokes the fire expertly.

"Think'a bout wha? And fer cripes sake, don' call me 'ah bloody bunny!"

Nicholas North gives out a weak chuckle and shakes his head. But he does repeat what he said.

North plans to visit the kid on Christmas.

Turns out the boy won't be discharged by Christmas, forced instead to stay with other poor souls stuck in hospital during the holidays. Patients and workers alike. North, of course refuses to let his only family spend the best, according to ol' Nick, time of the year alone. He didn't just come here to say that though, no, he wanted Aster to come.

Aster had no blood relatives living in the town and no family willing to come and celebrate with him. He had a large but distant family, the only ones truly close to him lived in Australia with no extra money for trips to visit even if it was Christmas.

North himself had no relatives that lived in town except the now deceased sweets man. Aster wasn't sure what had happened before he had moved here but he did know that North's past was a dark path, leaving him only his cousin, tattoos, and a pair of swords.

And Tooth. Well... No one really knew _anything_ about the petites girl's past. Actually Aster was sure not even North knew anymore about her past than Aster did. They didn't even know what ethnicity she was, but Nicholas had told Aster that he thought she was middle-eastern or maybe Indian.

So they usually all spent Christmas together as good friends, watching old Christmas movies and opening gifts from each other.

The kid though, he threw a wrench in things and Aster understood what this invite from North meant. This was an invite into a family.

Something warmed in Aster, something that felt special.

He felt loved.

He feels flustered.

"Ya o' course." he mutters, "No' get ou' so I can get some shut eye."

North chuckles and shakes his head but puts down the poker and leaves with a quiet good-bye.

Aster stands still for a moment. It's strange to suddenly be a part of a family again, having been away from his for so long.

It was – nice, he finally decided, taking off his extra layers as the room heated back up.

* * *

He hadn't really felt anything but a removed sadness but it hit him now as he laid in bed listening to the quiet sounds of night. Aster had _known _the sweets man. Not well, the man had been bitter and closed off long before Aster had moved into the village but he had made the chocolate to help in the Easter hunts and for Aster himself (his sweet tooth was a well kept secret) along the few years he's lived here.

He hadn't given it too much thought because he was more concerned with how ol' Nick was handling it but now he felt a strange chill down his spine and a heavy ache in his chest.

The whole little town would probably mourn.

_Who would make the chocolate? _Aster thought.

It was a selfish thought no matter how much he insisted it was for the children on Easter, but why else had he known the sweets man?

He turned over and instead thought of how to help North, who seemed to be distracting himself with the child he was taking in.

Aster sighed and shivered when his thoughts turned to another child.

As he drifted asleep he wondered if Jack Frost was dead.


	6. Is the Snow Sticking?

He was wrapped in a navy peacoat, the last gift he had gotten from his parents before their relationship had cracked like an egg. It was probably the nicest thing he owned and even though it strikes a cord in his heart he wears it religiously during the winter. To the few events he goes to, whenever he makes a trip into the city, and on the one date he's gone  
on.

It provides him protection from the cold along with his usual navy ear-flapped hat that keeps his ears toasty with brown fur and his long blue and grey scarf (colors picked by Tooth and knitted by North).

His hair that used to be black but had been sun bleached to a grayish, blue color, was combed down as much as he could get it.  
A gust of cold wind that was so _bitter _and _cold _that a shiver ran straight through his spine to his flexing thighs and tense ankles and curling toes.

He knows who it is even though he doesn't recognize the aura.

Aster turns to see Jack Frost, bare feet flat on the ground.

His chest doesn't seem to move and his face is shadowed so Aster can't tell if he's breathing.

Slowly Jack lifts his head and his eyes are empty and unrecognizable. His lips part as he breaths out another chilly breeze that makes Aster shiver and then he moves, barely, but enough for his wood staff to knock against concrete and echo a hollow sound along with the faint rustle of clothe and the crunch of frost.

Their eyes connect and Aster searches for anything in the eyes but they're blank like eggs waiting to be painted.

Then Jack twitches and in a flurry of movement he explodes, snow and cold bursting forward as the only sign that Jack Frost existed.

A car horn honks and Aster turns, a deep cold and shock running through him.

He is met with the unfortunate sight of Ol' Nick's car.

'The sleigh'.

He barrels into the Rudolph red vehicle and immediately cranks up the heat. He is riding in the front with Tooth because Nick was laid out in the back, tired from playing Santa and delivering the toys to the kids.

Aster is quiet while Tooth hums to the Christmas music. Usually he'd crack a joke about the ol' gumby but he is still in shock over what happened.

_Was the lil' bugger gone? _He asked himself while rubbing his gloved fingers in front of the vents that noisily blasted hot air, _What did that mean?_

Slowly he relaxed to the heat and vibrations of the car. His normal fear if 'the sleigh' was mainly because of Ol' Nicky. The man drove like a maniac trying to break every rule of driving that Aster ever learned.

Tooth on the other hand calmly kept both hands on the wheel, checked her mirrors for cars, and initiated the turn signal at appropriate times.

Tooth was like that, the role model for humanity, except for her strange obsession with teeth and her a hundred and one birds.

Aster slipped off his standard black winter utility gloves and wiggled his fingers in the air vents warm puffs of heat.

"I've always wanted a kid." Tooth whispered quietly, fingers curling tightly around the stearing wheel.

He freezes.

North gives a sharp snort in his sleep.

Tooth hunched forward like she was trying to curl in on the failing parts of her body. Whether it was genetics or something she wouldn't talk about, Aster doesn't know. That doesn't change the fact that Tooth wasn't able to have kids.

Aster thinks that's why she's so fond and kind to them, or anyone really. Its a motherly instinct bleeding through one of the broken cracks of her life.

He places a hand on her slender shoulder.

"It's no' going ta b' easy Tooth. He's lost his 'ntire family and he's no babe."

Giving her a comforting smile even though she's not looking he runs his hand over her shoulder before removing it.

Tooth curls into herself even more, chin on the steering wheel while the red light shines in her face.

"I know it's just..."

She doesn't continue.

"Look, Tooth, I'm sure that by th' time th' kids 'll grown up that he'll lov' ya like a mother and North lik' a father. It'll just tak' time."

She straightens and the edges of her glossed lips lift with new hope.

"You're right. It'll just take time."

* * *

It took no time to get to the hospital the kid is staying at. The hospital is the biggest one in their county and it's only about twenty minutes from the kids hometown. That's how close The sweet man lived from his estranged son.

May their souls rest in peace.

The hospital has the usual nurses and patients walking around in their own way.

One woman was sitting in a chair reading a book. An old could picked out toys in the gift shop. Another weary looking man sat in the coffee shop, what looked to be his daughter eating a cookie. She was about five and an I.V. wound its way to her wrist.

Aster looked nervously around while the tired North chatted away with Tooth about the kids who though he was Santa.

Avoiding getting lost, they talk to a nurse who points them down the hall to an elevator.

"Just go up two floors and then turn left. Room 309."

North nodded.

Tooth smiled.

Aster looked the other way.

The elevator ride was quiet and tense, although North seemed oblivious despite being nervous.

In his hands was a present, red wrapped. It was small and Aster couldn't help but notice it.

The elevator dinged open.

Room 309 was visible from there and they walked toward the standard wood door.

North and Tooth stood in front of it. Neither reaching out. Tooth turns to look at Aster.

_This is it, _the look says.

_This is when our lives change._

He smiles at her and she smiles too, cheeks turning red and tears making her eyes shiny.

North is in a similar situation.

The two share a look filled with love and unspoken words, then they look at him again.

"Aster," North begins, "would you open the door?"

Aster takes a breath through his nose, sharp and surprised but he nods.

Slowly he reaches his arm out taking a step forward, hand wrapping around the cold silver handle.

Tooth and North move out of the way.

He opens the door.


	7. Cold Feet and Frozen Looks

He just stands there, staring at the child on the bed. He looks, familiar but he could just chalk that up to the kid looking like North or the sweets man.

(_It's not true and he knows it's not true but he refuses -_)

North and Tooth gently push past him with all the excitement of new parents, but its dampened by how small and broken the boy looks in the crisp, standard hospital sheets.

Tooth grabs his hand and runs her fingers through the sleeping kid's hair.

Aster is still standing, stunned and shell shocked.

The kid groans and his head turns, away from the rather flat pillow and sheets. North says the child's name, whispers it in awe at the son he's gained.

His head turns toward Aster, inviting him in. Aster shakes his head, backing away slowly until he has room to run to the bathroom.

(- _he refuses to believe the child in the bed is Jack Frost_.)

* * *

The face is the same except for the coloring, the same long thin nose, the same sharp jaw, the same high cheekbones.

Different hair color, different skin color, different _warmth. _

That face should've been smiling or giggling or laughing. The lean thin body should've been running or jumping or playing. It was wrong. All of it. The Jack and Frost and cold and _hospital_.

Taking a deep breathe Aster wonders what makes that Jack so cold. The one that dissolved in snow.

Looking up in the bathroom mirror he saw Jack. _Frost._

Aster gasps and turns his head quickly looking behind him. There's nothing and no one.

Jack takes a breath and releases it onto the mirror, frosting it over. A finger, pale and cold writes in it.

_Help m-_

He never finishes the 'e', suddenly gone as quickly as he came.

Aster leans forward and wipes at the glass, its cold and feels delicate when he first touches it, but once his palm is fully pressed, its gone.

Something goes off in the silence of the bathroom, causing Aster to jump. It takes him only a second to realize its his phone and he scrambles to get it out. Flipping it open he presses it to his ear.

"Wh't is 't?" he slurs

No one responds so he looks at the screen to see he got a text.

_He's awake._

Looking up quickly at the mirror he closes the phone and tries to smooth down his ruffled appearance.

* * *

His lungs feel like they're being constricted with a metal band when he walks in, a smile on his face. The kid is sitting up, eyes _brown_ and sad. Tooth is sitting hunched in her bird like way, unassuming and tiny - like she was saying, _here, look at me, I'm pretty and harmless and want to adopt you._

Sighing he goes to scooch into a corner, the boy looking like he's being crowded. Nicholas' imposing figure a strange contrast to Toothiana's tiny one. It made him cower towards her and for one unreal moment Aster wanted to chuckle. They made a good team.

The boy's eyes flickered around the room and stuck on him. Blindingly - like his eyes widened and his breathing stopped.

_Thanks kid,_ he thought.

"Oh, Aster!" Tooth said, her dazzling white teeth seeming to glitter like a predator's, "Jack why don't you smile for him? The nurses let me have a peek at your dental records!"

She swoons and mutters something about as white as freshly fallen snow.

Jack cringes.

"Ya my mom is really careful about that stuff." he murmurs quietly, big doe eyes locked on Aster.

Sighing he looks away and down at nothing in particular.

Ol' Nick sighs too, and lean over him and Tooth crowds into his space. Jack curls up tighter, making sure none of them are touching him.

The air is tense and really, that cannot stand. Not for _this._

"Well - _ah, _ho're you mate?"

Jack looks up at him from beneath dark lashes. Aster thinks that maybe, at another time the kid would have laughed.

* * *

The ride back home is quiet. Toothiana's face an oval of nothing, a blank sheet with wide hard eyes and a sharp up tilt nose and lips like an exotic fruit broken open and ripe.

They were riding in the back together, and Aster was really starting to get concerned. The meeting hadn't gone bad but the kid had just looked _empty. _

_No, not empty, _Aster thinks, _full of pain, in shock, anything's better than empty._

Aster sighs and wraps an arm around her.

"'ey, Don' worry. The poor kid 's 'n _shock _Tooth." He smiles and he can see her eyes crinkle slightly at his unfortunately rabbit like teeth, "he'll warm 'p!"

She gives a crookedly broken smile. And then she blinks, her smile straightens and her face floods with happiness.

"You're right!" She rubs the wedding ring on her left hand - a reassuring, self-comforting gesture, "I - It'll be fine!"

Sighing, Aster strokes circles into her back, "Now, mate ah didn' _say _tha'. But, ah _think _it will get bettah."

The bird like woman sighs and rests into herself - like she's smoothing ruffled feathers, "Ya, Aster you're right." She smiles at him, a small, tired, but _hopeful _smile, "It _has_ to get better. There's nowhere else for it to go."

Aster pulls her into a hug, constrained by the seatbelts (if you can call them that.)

It wasn't entirely that the meeting had gone _badly. _It's just that the kid had been so _cold. _His expression collectively blank or completely guarded. Everything he said was in reference to his mother or father or sister. In present tense.

It was just sad and Tooth had quickly clammed up.

She had been like a mirror or a pupper. Eyes drowning in an all consuming sadness, posture curling in on itself like the kid had. It had been depressing - a lot like the Titanic. Just sinking the whole time into icy, dark water.

Doomed. Horribly, _horribly _doomed. By the end they had all been reduced to awkward stares.

Aster wanted to be mad at the kid - but he was _just _a kid with no family.

He _needed _help and honestly, Aster didn't think there was anyone that could _help _like Tootiana and Nicholas North.


End file.
